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Charity groups say that ships near Italy have rescued 32 migrants and 71 others who were lost at sea.
Rescue charities reported that two merchant ships near the Italian coast recovered the bodies?of?two migrants?and rescued 32 survivors?from a boat attempting to?cross?to europe from Libya at Easter weekend. The survivors claimed 71 other people were lost at sea. Mediterranea Save Humans and Sea-Watch, two groups that work together to save lives in the Mediterranean, have confirmed the victims' transfer to a patrol boat of the Italian coast guard and their arrival on the Italian island of Lampedusa. The Italian?interior minister said that it did not have any comment to make on the report. The Italian?Coast Guard didn't immediately respond to a request for a comment. Sunday is Easter in Italy. The rescue charities reported that survivors said 105 people were on board the ship, but 71 of them drowned at sea. A video released by Sea-Watch showed a dozen people holding on to a capsized, orange boat when the merchant ship approached it. The 'Mediterranean has been ravaged by bad weather this year. This has limited the number of departures out of North Africa, and caused serious problems for those who have managed to set sail. IOM estimates that at least 683 people have died in the central Mediterranean this year. This is the highest death toll since 2014. (Reporting and Editing by William Maclean, Joshua McElwee and Matteo Negri)
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Trump says he will strike Iran's infrastructure on Tuesday, if the Strait is blocked
In a sarcastic social media post published on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States would target Iran's bridges and power plants on Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened. In Iran, Tuesday will be "Power Plant Day" and "Bridge Day", all rolled into one. It will be a first !!!" Trump stated in a "Truth Social" post that Tehran had effectively closed the main shipping lane since the U.S. launched its attacks against Iran over a month ago. Trump concluded his?Easter Morning post by saying: "Praise to Allah." Separately, the president said that he would hold a news conference in the Oval Office on Monday after?the U.S. The?pilots of the?downed aircraft in Iran. (Reporting and editing by Susan Heavey; Dan Burns, Ros Russel)
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Shipping data shows that a tanker loaded with Iraqi crude oil passes through Hormuz.
Data from LSEG/Kpler showed that an oil 'tanker' loaded with Iraqi crude was seen transiting the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast a few days after Iran announced Iraq was exempted from any restrictions on transiting this vital -sea route. Kpler data shows that the Ocean Thunder loaded approximately 1 million barrels of Basrah heavy crude on March 2. It is expected to "discharge" its cargo in Pengerang, Malaysia by mid-April. Iran closed the Strait after U.S. airstrikes and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February escalated a conflict. Later, it said that vessels without U.S. and Israeli connections would be allowed to pass through the strait. In recent days, three Omani tankers, as well as a French-owned container vessel?and a Japanese owned?gas carrier?have crossed.
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Leaders say that explosives were found near a gas pipeline in Serbia that supplies Hungary.
Leaders from Serbia and Hungary said that explosives of "devastating power" were discovered near the Turkstream pipeline in Serbia, which carries Russian gas to Hungary. Hungarian Prime Minster Viktor Orban claimed that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had told him explosives were found near the pipeline transporting Russian gas from the Balkans into Central and Eastern Europe. Vucic, an ally close to Orban, wrote on Instagram that "our units found explosives of devastating power." "I told Orban, the?PM that we would keep you updated on this investigation." Orban, after a phone call with Vucic on Sunday, announced in a post on Facebook that he called an "extraordinary defence council meeting". The incident occurs a week ahead of the pivotal election on April 12, where Orban, a nationalist, is fighting to maintain his 16-year hold on power. His party trails in polls the opposition Tisza Party. Orban had increased security around the energy infrastructure of?the nation in February. He raised the stakes for?the elections by saying that it was a matter of choosing between war and peace. Budapest is also embroiled in a dispute with Ukraine due to a halt in oil deliveries via the Druzhba Pipeline. Orban's Fidesz has tried to link?opposition leader Peter Magyar with Brussels and Ukraine by suggesting that voting for his Tisza Party means voting for war and tanks. (Reporting and writing by Krisztina than; editing by Hugh Lawson, Helen Popper, and Edward McAllister)
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After drone attacks, a fuel reservoir was hit in Primorsk. The NORSI refinery is on fire.
Russian authorities reported that a drone attack caused fuel to leak at the port of Primorsk in Russia's Baltic Sea, and an oil refinery called?NORSI? caught fire after a drone strike. Ukraine intensified its attacks against Russian energy infrastructure over the last month to damage Russia's main source of revenue, and undermine its military power. Alexander Drozdenko, the governor of Leningrad's north-western?region, initially claimed that a pipeline had been damaged in Primorsk. Primorsk is one of Russia’s major oil exporting ports. Later, he said on Telegram that the pipeline wasn't damaged but the fuel reservoir near the port was leaking when it was struck by shrapnel. U.S. commercial images of satellites taken by on Thursday showed that the drone attack in Ukraine last month destroyed at least 40% of Primorsk's storage facilities, which are capable of handling 1 million barrels of oil per day. Around 40% of Russia's ability to export oil was shut down last month due to the attacks and the closing of the Druzhba Pipeline in Ukraine. Also, tankers with a Russian connection were seized. OIL REFINERY ON FIRE Gleb Nikitin (the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region) said on Telegram on Sunday that a fire broke out at Russia's NORSI Oil Refinery, the fourth largest in the country, after a drone strike. He added that two facilities were also?hit. According to initial information, a "power station" and "several houses" were damaged in the attack. However, no one was injured. NORSI can process up to 16 million metric tons of oil a year or 320,000 barrels a day. Andrey Kravchenko is the mayor of Novorossiysk, Russia's biggest?port along the Black Sea. He said that an air alert had been triggered due to the drone attack threat. During such alerts, oil loadings are typically suspended, including at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal that handles Kazakhstan's oil exports. Kevin Buckland, Hugh Lawson and Kevin Buckland edited the report.
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Sheriff's Office: Vehicle crashes into Louisiana crowd injuring 15 at least
Law enforcement officials reported that a car slammed into crowd in New Iberia (Louisiana) on Saturday. Some of the injuries were critical. Rebecca Melancon, spokesperson for the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office, said that a suspect was arrested and an investigation is?ongoing' following the incident. The incident occurred near a celebration of 'Lao New Year'. She said it was not clear whether the incident in the car was intentional. Acadian Ambulance announced on social media that it transported 13 people to hospital. The ambulance service posted on X that two of the 13 people were airlifted. The Louisiana Lao New Year Festival organizers announced on Facebook that they were canceling Saturday night's concerts as well as the alcohol sales. The organizers posted on Facebook: "We're?deeply saddened" by the news about the?incident that occurred near the festival grounds. "We are pleading for the?victims and their families in this difficult time." This three-day festival, held every Easter weekend, includes live music and a parade as well as other activities celebrating the Lao new year. Noel Randewich reported from San Francisco, Sergio Non edited by Matthew Lewis and Matthew Lewis.
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Chelsea tries to turn the corner after Port Vale's 7-0 FA Cup defeat
Chelsea is hoping Saturday's 7-1 thrashing over Port Vale, in the FA Cup quarterfinals, will?draw a line under the dismal.run of form and the internal turmoil that threatened to?ruin their season. Chelsea's coach Liam Rosenior announced on Friday that Enzo Fernandez, the club's vice captain and record-breaking signing, would be suspended from playing for two matches after suggesting he may leave. Chelsea has been in a state of crisis ever since they were beaten 8-2 on aggregate by European champions Paris St Germain in the Champions League and suffered domestic league losses to?Newcastle United & Everton in a fraught 10-day period in March. The goal-fest on Saturday, despite being against Port Vale who are likely to be relegated into the fourth division of English football in the near future, at least brought smiles to Chelsea's fans and players. Rosenior said to reporters that "when you 'go through a difficult time, like we did during that 10-day period... you come out stronger, and you know what you want to fix," he explained. Rosenior said that the recent international break, and the big win on Saturday could help lift his mood after he had been thrown into a busy?schedule in January when Enzo Maresca unexpectedly left Stamford Bridge. Rosenior stated, "I have a group who believe as I do that we can still have an outstanding year in terms winning the FA Cup and qualifying for Champions League." Rosenior, when asked about Fernandez’s reaction to the suspension of his player, said that it was "brilliant", to see him in attendance at Saturday’s match. Next Sunday, in the Premier League, Chelsea will face a tougher test. They will host Manchester City in second place. Both teams will be chasing the table-toppers Arsenal. Fernandez is still absent. Chelsea hadn't scored a goal in more than 300 minutes in any competition before Saturday, but the Dutch defender Jorrel hato put them in front after Port Vale failed to clear a set-piece. Brazil striker Joao Peter misled his marker with an ingenious dummy, before making it to 2-0. The Blues went 3-0 ahead before the half when Port Vale’s Jordan Lawrence Gabriel deflected Cole Palmer's shot into his own goal. Tosin Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos and Tosin Adarabioyo scored goals with their heads in the eighth minute. Brazil's Estevao then reacted quickly to an Alejandro Garnacho effort that had hit the post. The rout was halted by a late Garnacho penalty. Port Vale's fans, despite the fact that they failed to score a single goal in the game, took over Stamford Bridge's Shed End. (Writing and editing by Andrew Cawthorne; William Schomberg)
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Kenya fuel executives resign as state probes supply chain irregularities
The office of President William Ruto announced on Saturday that senior executives in Kenya's Energy Sector resigned after being accused of manipulating fuel stock data and procuring a 'emergency cargo' at inflated prices. Ruto accepted Mohamed Liban's resignation as principal secretary for Petroleum. The Kenya Pipeline Company also confirmed that Joe Sang had resigned from his position as managing director. According to the?statement, Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria has also resigned as director general of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority. It said that a formal investigation was launched into alleged irregularities within?Kenya’s petroleum supply chain. The government claimed that the manipulated data had been used to 'justify' the importation of fuel despite existing contracts with Saudi Aramco Trading Fujairah Ltd., Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Global Trading Ltd. and Emirates National Oil Company Singapore Ltd. All of these companies are fulfilling their contractual obligations. The emergency shipment, it claimed, was overpriced and of poor quality. It also claimed that the rates were significantly higher than what had been agreed in existing agreements. The statement stated that "this appears to have been done in order to exploit rising global prices and public anxieties, thus creating a false impression of an impending shortage." Fuel?supply issues linked to the Iran conflict have affected the global energy market. The statement stated that administrative action was taken against other officials, and?arrests were made by investigative agencies'. The arrestees were not identified. No charges have been filed. Reporting by Humphrey Malolo; Writing by Isaac Anyaogu; Editing by Bate and Ali Williams.
Egypt's state grain buyer is under scrutiny for delayed payments and broken agreements
According to sources in the trade and industry, increased trade tensions, which earlier this year resulted in a decline in Egypt's imports of wheat, have caused a shakeup at Egypt's state grain buyer. A newly appointed leader is attempting to restore credibility. Egypt has operated a transparent procurement system for decades to ensure supplies of bread subsidies that feed tens and millions of people. It is also a cornerstone in social stability. Egypt is now one of the largest wheat importers in the world and a benchmark price for global markets. Six traders from global suppliers of vegetable oils and wheat to Egypt said that the newly formed military-linked agency Future of Egypt ditched formal tenders of its predecessor, the General Authority for Supply Commodities, in favor of informal negotiations.
Six traders reported that delayed payments, repeated attempts to renegotiate or cancel contracts by the new agency when global wheat prices and vegetable oil fell were viewed as defaults by many traders. This was something unheard of in GASC. The six traders claimed that these practices caused strained relationships with their suppliers, and were the major reason for the dramatic drop in Egypt's imports of wheat in the first half 2025.
Alexander Karavaytsev is a senior economist with the International Grains Council. He said that Egypt's public bids have "long been a barometer of global wheat prices".
He said that the shift from indirect to direct negotiation under Mostakbal Misr had reduced transparency on the market and slowed down dealmaking. This may have dissuaded some suppliers.
Three traders said that in recent weeks some global suppliers have resumed their sales to the agency after former GASC official Yousria Yousry Mohamed was appointed to oversee international purchasing. Three traders said that Mohamed, who was an official at GASC they had dealt with often, brought a level familiarity and professionalism to their dealings with the former state agency.
Some suppliers said that her appointment had helped to restore confidence. They reported that payments were initiated on time and contracts completed.
Future of Egypt, Egypt's Supply Ministry and the President's Office did not respond to comments for this article.
In recent years, global grain traders like Cargill and ADM as well as Russian's Aston, Ukraine's Nibulon, and Soufflet, Bunge and Solaris were among Egypt's main suppliers. Companies did not respond when asked for comments on the recent changes in Egypt's grain buyer.
Imports of wheat are a sludge
According to data from shipping and trading, Egypt imported 5.2 million tons of wheat during the first half 2025. This is a quarter lower than the same time period last year. The government's portion of these imports fell by more than half, to approximately 1.6 million metric tons. This does not include any domestic purchases made by brokers or private companies.
According to an Egyptian trader who reviewed records, at one point in April Egypt's wheat stock was just a little more than a month worth of grain in storage. Another two months were still being negotiated.
According to data released by the government, this was far below the target of holding six months worth of grain and below the seven-months' worth held at mid-2024. Two people claimed that the buffer was restored after the local harvest in late April.
One source said that the agency had slowed down imports to prepare for this year's large harvest. We could not determine if payment issues under Future of Egypt contributed to the lower stock.
Karavaytsev predicted that Egypt's imports will recover in the second part of the year. He said that the country's crops were likely to shrink in the next season. This would be a challenge for this new agency.
Karavaytsev added that the government's purchases and activities in the private sector would be more efficient. He also predicted that Egypt's grain stocks will contract for a 3rd consecutive year, 2025/26. They are expected to reach a multi-year minimum.
Egypt is looking to reduce its dependence on wheat imports in the long run, but a sudden decrease could expose the country to price volatility internationally, logistical disruptions or poor harvests which would quickly drain its strategic reserves.
Inflation, currency volatility, and increasing debt have all been persistent economic pressures on the country in recent years. Critics claim that President Abdel Fatah Sisi’s increasing reliance on military enterprises is stifling private sector investment.
PURCHASES COMING TO LIGHT IN PORT
Future of Egypt, unlike GASC, does not reveal its deals. The six traders said that the purchases are only revealed when the vessels arrive in port, which makes the process less transparent. They asked to remain anonymous to discuss commercial deals.
The six traders stated that while negotiating initial contracts can be straightforward, it is the execution of those contracts which poses the greatest challenge. Renegotiations and unclear commitments, as well as delayed payments, undermine trust.
They said that such issues have caused multiple disputes in the last few months.
Two people with knowledge of the situation said that a Ukrainian supplier filed arbitration after deals fell through because Future of Egypt did not issue letters of credit to them. Two people familiar with the matter said that a Ukrainian supplier initiated arbitration proceedings after deals collapsed due to Future of Egypt not issuing letters of credit to the supplier.
Few suppliers would risk such a move. Future of Egypt did not complete the payment, and the cargo was subsequently resold at a loss to another buyer.
According to one source, the Ukrainian company has initiated arbitration proceedings against one of UK-based trade associations which handles such disputes.
Could not independently verify if the dispute was arbitrated informally or formally, or if it involved an intermediary instead of the buyer.
Future of Egypt, and the Ukrainian firm did not respond when asked for comments. The Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations, an arbitration association, stated that it had no open cases with Future of Egypt. Meanwhile, the Grain and Feed Trade Association, which is also involved in arbitrations, failed to respond to inquiries.
A French wheat supplier also threatened legal action after Future of Egypt did not open a letter of credits for a shipment in May. Three traders claim that the shipment was loaded in July, after Future of Egypt had opened a letter of credits.
Since then, the supplier has sold more cargoes. Traders say that Future of Egypt is too important a customer to lose.
Another global supplier said that, despite the change in leadership, it was delaying deals until the company saw reliable, consistent trade, backed up by contracts with enforceable terms and accountability.
(source: Reuters)